In my prior U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,805,381 and 4,923,064 there is disclosed and claimed a high speed machine for inserting bulky newspapers and like articles into a plastic envelope or bag and then sealing such covering to provide a totally enclosed, protective wrapper for the newspaper. The invention as set forth in such patents is particularly useful in connection with large, bulky Sunday editions which contain many loose advertising inserts, coupons and other relatively slick items that have a tendency to slip out of the newspaper during handling. The sealed package also provides a safeguard against pilfering of valuable coupons from inside the newspapers.
While the bagger as disclosed in the '381 and '064 Patents performs quite well for its intended purpose, it does necessitate the use of a relatively large plastic bag of special configuration since the newspapers are bagged in a flat, unfolded condition. Moreover, my prior system is generally limited to the bagging of relatively thick newspapers due to the type of pusher system that is utilized to advance the newspapers into the open bags. Thin newspapers and other like articles do not have enough columnar strength in the direction of feeding to withstand the pushing force of the feeder. Furthermore, speeds are somewhat limited.